Rainwater Catchment WaSH Project 18043

Project assignment is subject to change prior to construction. More Info ? »

Western Kenya WaSH Program

Rainwater Catchment

Rooftops, gutters and large holding tanks divert and store rainwater.

The Water Project completes RainWater Catchment projects at schools, where on-site, safe water keeps kids in school. Water is collected off of specific areas of a roof, enters a custom guttering system (which filters out debris) and leads to a storage tank. Tanks can vary in sizes and are determined by the population of the school and average rainfall patterns. Water can be stored for months, is easily treated in the tank, and is accessible through taps on the tank.

The Water Project implements this technology in areas where we are also providing other community water projects. We believe if kids are able to get safe water at home, they should also get it at school (and vice versa!). We give RainWater Catchment an A+!

Rehabilitation Project

Rehabilitation is not just fixing a pump - it’s total community re-engagement.

There’s only one thing we can think of that might be worse than not having safe water: having safe water, and then losing if because a project fell into disrepair.

It’s estimated 50% of projects in Sub-Saharan Africa are no longer functional. A majority of these projects are dug wells and boreholes with hand pumps. Though a hand pump is low-tech, cost-effective and a great solution for providing safe water - it’s also among the most susceptible to failure.

When working in a region, The Water Project seeks to provide adequate water coverage for communities across the region. Inevitably, we find dug well and boreholes projects installed, and then abandoned by other organizations and government contracts. We believe there is great value in building on what already exists - what is already present in a community - even if what’s exists is not working. After all, this broken well represents a significant investment from the past and repairing it shows a community our investment in them.

Rehabilitation often proves to be a big challenge, as many wells have sit idle for years and there is typically little information about the specifics of the well. A borehole and dug well rehabilitation involves quite a bit of discovery. First, our teams work to discover as much as they can about the initial project. What materials were used? Was the borehole/hand-dug well properly constructed? What is the static water level and well yield? Are there any known sources of contamination? Many of these questions can only be answered by diving in, and doing “the work” which makes up a rehabilitation.

Once our teams have found the problem, they find the solution. Then, they reconstruct a concrete apron around the well, and install a hand pump.

Program engagement and training with communities takes into account rehabilitation was needed and alters the program to suit the needs of the community. After all - engaging with this community in the same way which led to the initial, failed project will not bring new results. Our teams work to understand the social and support reasons leading to initial failure, and make those areas a focus of our ongoing engagement with communities.

Project Features

Community Engagement

Community engagement is at every step of a water project.

Our engagement is rooted in relationship and includes involving the community in implementation and ongoing support, setting expectations for water point management and ongoing costs, etc. All of this happens before a water project is installed.

We use a term called ABCD: “Asset Based Community Development”. This means the community gets a leading seat at the table. Before we seek to bring anything into the community, we first seek to understand and utilize the assets that alreadyexist within the community.

Hand-washing Stations

Handwashing with soap at critical times reduces diarrheal disease by more than 40%. All of our projects include hygiene and sanitation training, which (among many things) empowers communities to build their own handwashing stations. When we work at schools, we install permanent handwashing stations and work with the school to make sure they are constantly supplied with soap.

Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) Latrines

Proper hygiene and sanitation facilities go hand-in-hand with access to clean, reliable water. Two major challenges with sanitation facilities are flies and smell.

A VIP latrine is a pit latrine containing a vent pipe fitted to the pit and a screen at the pipe opening. The vent pipe carries smell outside and screens keep flies out/in.

Hygiene and Sanitation Training

Community education and self-discovery about hygiene and sanitation concepts lead to improved health.

Improved health is always the goal. This is why all our projects include hygiene and sanitation training. We utilize many different methods for this training, depending on the community/institution, program and country. Training topics include disease transmission, personal hygiene and cleanliness, proper disposal of waste and proper water storage methods.

Monitoring and Resolution

Water isn’t a pump. Water is a service. And, it must be reliable.

The known benefits of water are ONLY true if water can be counted on, over time. We love celebrating when a project is complete and a community has access to clean, safe water. However, the ongoing service of water - making water reliable - is how we know our true impact.

The Water Project continues to monitor our water projects, and we provide continued support to make sure water service continues for communities.

Past water projects and the communities they serve are just as important to us as anything else we might be doing in the future.

Project Timeline FAQ

Project Status

Funded: Money has been raised for this project and we are preparing to release those funds to the driller/implementer

Under Construction: Money had been released to our partner to begin construction

Completed: All project work is complete and final reports have been submitted

On Hold: Issues of concern are being investigated (more below)

Canceled/Re-Allocated: The project your gift was originally allocated to has been withdrawn and we have re-allocated your gift to another project. Click the link to be redirected to your new project. (read more below)

Why isn't my project under construction yet?

Our goal is to get funds into the hands of our implementing partners as quickly and as efficiently as possible. To ensure that work in the field is not interrupted, waiting for additional funds to be raised, we keep our partners on about a 3-6 month back-log of work. That ensures the workers are always drilling or repairing wells.

Of course the side-effect of that is a perceived "lag" between donation and construction. Rest assured everyone is working as fast as is responsible.

Is the expected completion date a sure thing?

NO. Well construction in the developing world is very hard work. A lot of things can and do go wrong and delays are normal. We attempt to make a best judgment estimate of when a particular project will be complete, but the circumstances surrounding actual "in the field" conditions are far from our control.

Weather, supply availability, government paperwork, and community involvement are just a few of the variables that can delay (and sometimes even speed up) a project's completion.

What does "On Hold" mean?

Our goal is to ensure your donations are well spent. That means always erring on the side of caution when it comes to your gifts.

From time to time, concerns may arise about a particular project that require further investigation before we can fund it (actually wire money overseas) or it can be completed. We will place a project "On Hold" while we determine if it is possible to proceed and be assured of the quality of the work, and that the transparency and accountability of our partners remains up to our standard. Many times, the issues can be resolved, but on occasion project funds will need to be re-allocated to another project or partner. Sometimes initial efforts fail and we will put a project on hold to assess the situation as well. We will tell you when that happens.

What does "Canceled/Re-allocated" mean?

From time to time our water projects may not go as planned. Delays can occur due to equipment failures, geology, weather, and in some cases because we are simply not satisfied that work is being performed to our high standards. When this happens, we may need to re-allocate your donation/project. While we attempt to keep the new project in the same country, this is not always possible.

We mark a project canceled so that you are aware that your funds have been re-allocated to a new site or project. The new project link will be listed accordingly.

Status:

This project is in the early stages of site selection and initial construction preparation.

During this phase, teams are working to ensure that the community is mobilized and ready for the work to commence. They may be working with them to gather supplies, prepare the site or organize a local water committee to oversee the project in the long term.

We will post specific details about the project, including locations, as they are made available by our partners.

Explore The Project - Click to Expand

Stories and Community Profile

Western Kenya WaSH Program

Project Type: Rainwater CatchmentProject type subject to change prior to completion based on community needs and geographical and hydro-geological limitations.

The Water Project’s WaSH Program in Western Kenya’s Kakemega and Vihiga Counties includes partnerships with self-organized leadership groups within schools, churches and communities.

Approximately 80% of people in these counties lack access to safe and reliable water.

Due to high occurrence of non-functioning hand pumps in this county, The Water Project’s program is focused on well rehabilitation. When water points cannot be rehabilitated, or no other viable source exists, new wells with hand-pumps are installed. Additional work targets self-help groups to implement protected springs and household sanitation solutions. The Water Project also works with nearby schools to implement rainwater catchment systems, hand-washing stations and latrines. This approach means kids have access to safe water while at home – and also while at school.

Agreements are signed with communities which outline necessary contributions and current/future responsibilities associated with each water point.

Hygiene and Sanitation Training targets overall health, teaching the community about the importance of hand-washing and latrine use.

Ongoing mobile monitoring breaks the cycle of broken water systems and helps gauge the impact of every project. Thanks to our monthly donors, we are able to monitor and repair water projects to ensure water continues to flow.

Contributors

Country Details

Kenya

Population: 39.8 Million

Lacking clean water: 43%

Below poverty line: 50%

Partner Profile

Western Water and Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO) works together with less privileged and marginalized members of communities in Western Kenya to reduce poverty through harnessing and utilization of local resources for sustainable development.